Polished concrete Austin floors, previously restricted to finished basements and commercial spaces, make well-deserved inroads into residential homes. Recent advancements in the ability to seal and stain concrete have increased its aesthetic appeal, allowing it to compete with other stone floorings such as marble, granite, and slate—at a fraction of the cost. Polished concrete flooring provides numerous advantages to home builders and renovators. Listed below are several advantages to building your new home with polished concrete flooring or exposing the concrete floor of your existing home.
Those most interested in building environmentally sustainable homes were among the first to embrace polished concrete floors, and for a good reason. Sealed concrete has a meager environmental impact. If your home, like most, is built on an existing concrete slab, they were sanding and sealing the concrete eliminates the need for additional environmentally costly flooring materials. Furthermore, the compounds used to sand and finish a concrete floor are extremely low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polluting the environment and reducing indoor air quality, which can have adverse health effects. The compounds used to seal concrete floors have no lingering odor.
In addition to being extremely sustainable, Austin epoxy floors have long been the least expensive flooring option available. The truth is that most homes have concrete pre-installed because they are built on concrete slabs. Later additions such as wood, vinyl, carpeting, or tile are laid over. As a result, concrete is only second to bare earth in terms of the initial investment. Furthermore, the reflective surface of polished concrete can help reduce the cost of interior lighting. It remains cool in the summer, lowering household cooling costs.
Most traditional flooring has stringent cleaning requirements. Carpeting must be vacuumed. The floorboards should be waxed. Marble floors can be challenging to clean and are prone to scuffs that necessitate extra care.
On the other hand, a polished concrete floor, which is highly resistant to scuffs and stains, can be mopped when necessary. This could save you hours of labor and money on cleaning.
Treated concrete floors are among the most long-lasting in the world. According to houzz.com, and adequately treated concrete floor can be expected to last for more than 100 years. This has long been known by commercial interests, who frequently use this flooring option in showrooms, retail locations, and other high-traffic areas. Because concrete allows the floor to "breathe," it is not susceptible to moisture and rot issues like tile or vinyl floors, which can trap moisture between themselves and the slab below, resulting in costly replacements.
Household dust and dust mites have been known to aggravate (if not cause) allergies since the 1960s and are especially problematic for those with respiratory problems. Carpet, with its long fibers and tile and floorboards, with their grout lines and grooves, are known to harbor bacteria, germs, and mildew. Polished concrete is seamless, so there is no place for dust mites to congregate and expose bacteria that can be trapped between tiles and floorboards. Polished concrete flooring can be the first step toward creating an allergy-free environment.
In terms of treatments and stains, homeowners have a plethora of options. There are silicon-based penetrating sealers available for homeowners who want to avoid the "wet" look of polished concrete. Concrete can be stamped to look like salvaged wooden planks for homeowners considering salvaged wooden planks. It can be made to look like slate tiles.
Concrete can be stained to create a marble-like effect or nearly any color. It can be ground before treatment to achieve the desired aggregate exposure level. Aggregate is the material mixed with cement to make concrete; when exposed, it creates a textured look. In short, a stained concrete Austin floor can be made to look truly unique.
Concrete comes pre-installed in almost every home. When properly sealed and polished, it is one of the most environmentally sustainable flooring options available and one of the most versatile. It is also one of the most durable and possibly the least expensive materials. In short, sealed concrete flooring has numerous advantages over other types of flooring. It is no surprise that savvy home builders and renovators are beginning to recognize the benefits of concrete flooring.